My 7th grade teacher told me I would “amount to nothing,” when I told her I wanted to be a writer. I have since had a couple of stories published. In high school I flunked physical education class twice. Presently I am a yoga, cycle and group fitness instructor. My point is this: when you have a belief, follow it. Isn’t it better to have tried to accomplish something instead of wondering, “What if…?” It is that internal strength that resonated with me as I watched this movie; based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, played by Denzel Washington (Training Day, American Gangster), who was a professor at Wiley College Texas in the 1930’s. This man inspired his students to form a debate team, which would later surprise the country. As you may have guessed, I root for the underdogs. In my case, I had to deal with people’s prejudices. However, I did not fear for my life as some of the characters had to do in this film. This movie was a clear inspiration, which left me feeling as if I could accomplish anything I put my heart and mind to. What a well done movie about an historical time.

3 stars — DVD